Standing Committee of Hemp Organizations
Mission Statement
The mission of the NHA Standing Committee of Hemp Organizations is to encourage and assist legislators and regulators to promulgate uniform, fair, constitutional, economically viable and environmentally friendly policy for the collective benefit of hemp growers, processors, related manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and their customers across the whole of the fifty states, sovereign tribes, and territories with the goal of creating a hemp industry so robust and versatile that it revolutionizes the way humans think about everything they consume.
Strength Through Unity
California Hemp Association
The mission of the California Hemp Association (formerly known as the California Hemp Alliance) is to promote commerce and research of industrial hemp and it’s applications. As a member-driven entity, CHA operates with industry stakeholders to bolster innovation and expansion of hemp as a recognized and valued commodity for California industry and the greater public.
CHA administers resources, education, public affairs, and networking opportunities to companies and individuals seeking guidance and counsel in participating in California’s hemp industry.
Colorado Hemp Association
COHA is a member-driven trade association whose mission is to propel the hemp industry in Colorado forward through reliable information, public policy work, and agriculture and market development
The Florida Hemp Council
The Mission of the Florida Hemp Council (FLHC) is to create a thriving ecosystem aimed at catapulting the Florida hemp industry to the forefront as leaders in hemp and hemp product production. We will represent all channels of the state’s economic engine, from farmers to retailers, and everyone in-between and help everyone stay connected to each other.
FLHC promotes the sound development for the emerging hemp industry.
FLHC members are privy to vibrant programs which enhance their professional growth.
Hempstead Project Heart
Hempstead Project Heart is a native-led non-profit dedicated to redevelop thriving hemp economies in the tribal, urban, and rural communities throughout the United States.
HITA of AZ
Joining the Hemp Industry Trade Association of Arizona (HITA) means being represented as a community alongside other stakeholders committed to building a strong and sustainable future for hemp in Arizona. In addition to enhanced political representation, HITA membership offers unparalleled networking opportunities; exclusive access to industry information; special training and education opportunities; and local business connections and brand recognition.
HITA regularly hosts hemp industry networking events throughout the state, special engagement private events and industry bench-mark celebrations. Our events attract the best and brightest operators, business owners, government officials, activists, and community members from across the industry who enjoy learning from each other and exploring business opportunities in a casual environment.
Illinois Hemp Growers Association
The Illinois Hemp Growers Association is a women-led benefit corporation supported by the sponsorship, donations, and dues of over 1,000 grassroots members. The IHGA educates producers and consumers while representing the industry’s best interests in Springfield and throughout the state of Illinois.
Our goal is to build the resources and relationships necessary to grow a sustainable and equitable hemp industry. The IHGA achieves its goal through public education, consultation and service, working with legislators and statewide media on the issues, and volunteerism.
Kentucky Hemp Association
Mission: To support and align all hemp industry stakeholders through the facilitation of actionable initiatives that will kickstart and sustain the Kentucky hemp industry.
As a 501(c)(6) membership-based non-profit trade group, we seek to encourage the research and development of new products made from industrial hemp while offering our members a network of like-minded, trusted individuals.
Midwest Hemp Council
Our mission is to stand as a credible information center, a trusted policy advocate and a dedicated trade organization for the hemp industry in Indiana and beyond.
Nebraska Hemp Industry Association
Bring hemp back to Nebraska.
Oregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association
We are evolving from the Oregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association (OIHFA) to the Oregon Hemp Association (ORHA)!
We remain your 501(c)(5) agricultural non-profit with the vision of the advancement of all facets of the hemp industry throughout the entire hemp value chain. ORHA continues our advocational and educational mission for the future of hemp as it applies to policy, education, community building, and networking.
Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council
The Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council is on a mission to bring industrial hemp back to the state’s farm fields on a massive scale! We’re building a dynamic collaboration between farmers, businesses, investors, government agencies, and the community to make it happen.
Get ready for an exciting new era of rural rejuvenation, with hemp paving the way for good-paying jobs and economic growth. By investing in PA hemp, we’re creating a bio-based economy that’s ready to tackle today’s biggest challenges with innovative solutions.
With its rich agricultural heritage, fertile soils, prime location near major markets, and top-notch universities and research facilities, Pennsylvania is the perfect place to invest in the hemp revolution! So let’s get growing!
Tennessee Hemp Growers Coalition
The Tennessee Growers Coalition (TGC) is a non-partisan Political Action Committee (PAC) supporting pro-hemp and pro-cannabis advocacy, awareness and legislation. The TGC works to establish permanent viability for hemp farming by mobilizing an active coalition of legislators, regulators, farmers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, industry leaders and trade associations. Through grassroots advocacy, fund-raising efforts and educational outreach, the TGC collaborates with lawmakers and voters to create a progressive legal and regulatory framework for all hemp industries and hemp-derived products.
Meet the Standing Committee
Samantha Walsh – ChairSamantha Walsh is an expert in public affairs strategies and legislative policy and who started the lobbying effort in Colorado that paved the way for the state to become the premier state in hemp. She worked on every piece of instrumental hemp policy in Colorado starting with historic Senate Bill 13-241, implementing the first legal hemp program back in the United States, to crafting a pro-hemp food policy in Colorado that treated hemp-derived CBD as a food ingredient. She has worked directly for the Marijuana Policy Project, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and various hemp and marijuana clients ranging from premier edibles manufacturers, dispensaries and grows to cannabis education and advocacy groups. Samantha consistently serves on several task forces and advisory groups that craft the historic legislation for Colorado’s cannabis laws and regulations. Ms. Walsh also co-founded the National Hemp Association, where she served as vice-chair and directed communications strategy; managed the organization’s legislative agenda for industrial hemp. She currently sits on several committees for the Colorado Hemp Agricultural Management Plan (CHAMP) and the Colorado Hemp Agricultural Advancement Guild (CHAAG) where she continues to drive policy discussions on hemp in Colorado. Recently, Ms. Walsh was the lead lobbyist in a push for Social Equity reforms and programs in Cannabis in Colorado.
Marc Grignon – Vice-ChairMarcus Grignon is Director at Hempstead Project Heart, and the Technical Assistance Specialist with NiiJii Capital Partners, Inc, a native community development financial institution. His professional career includes service as an advocate in the public sector, both in Congress and the Small Business Administration. His work in Washington, D.C., Santa Fe, NM, and throughout Wisconsin have included food security, community organizing, youth development, state and federal public policy, business development, tribal government, political management, and farming. He is an enrolled member of the Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wisconsin. He holds a double Associate’s Degree in Tribal Law and Sustainable Development from the College of Menominee Nation and a Bachelor’s Degree in Democracy and Justice Studies with a minor in First Nations Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Hempstead Project Heart is a native-led non-profit dedicated to redevelop thriving hemp economies in the tribal, urban, and rural communities throughout the United States.
Andrew BishNebraska Hemp Industries Association
Andrew Bish is the Founder & CEO of Hemp Harvest Works & COO of Bish Enterprises, both of Giltner, NE.Bish Enterprises, founded in 1976, known worldwide for combine header adapters, is a harvesting equipment manufacturer, design, engineering, and research firm. Hemp Harvest Works is a machinery sales business focused on bringing a complete line of equipment & ancillary solutions to both hemp producers and/or processors.
In addition to the day to day operations, Andrew serves the President of the Nebraska Hemp Industries Association and Director of the Colorado Hemp Industries Association, Vice President of the Hemp Feed Coalition, & Technical Committee member of the US Hemp Authority. Since 2015, Andrew has been focused on identifying and resolving the many issues currently facing hemp harvesting and processing, while continuing to develop solutions for the other commodities he works with as well.
Jeff GreeneJeff Greene is an accomplished speaker and consultant coming to the hemp industry from an economics background with a degree from Texas A&M University.
Jeff has been a Florida state legislative and executive lobbyist and a member of the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists since 2017. He was instrumental in getting both the Industrial Hemp Research bill of 2017 and Hemp Commercialization bill of 2018 passed.
Jeff has represented and consulted with numerous hemp and CBD companies over the last few years and is currently the Vice President of Marketing for The Florida Hemp Council, a 501(c)6 non-profit Florida Corporation. Lastly, Jeff is a founder and partner in Natural Life Franchise Corp, franchising retail locations and Florida Farm Corporation, growing hemp for seed, biomass and flower.
Coleman HemphillTexas Hemp Industries Association
Coleman was voted Activist of the Year by the Hemp Industries Association for his foundational work educating the Texas Legislature in 2015. Coleman was recognized by Texas HB 1325 Authors, Representative Tracy King and Senator Charles Perry for his work to bring hemp to Texas. As a 7th generation Texan with deep roots in Texas agriculture, he cares deeply about the future success of rural economies and businesses involved in the Texas hemp industry. Coleman is President and Co-Founder of Texagon LLC, providing manufacturing, custom formulation, and wholesale distribution. Coleman is Senior Advisor to Ionization Labs, developer of Cann-ID, a cloud based potency testing solution. Coleman has extensive experience navigating DEA, USDA, FDA, USPS, TDA, DSHS, DPS, Texas District Attorneys and local law enforcement.
Joe HickeyJoe brings 28 years of Hemp Industry experience and relationships to Halcyon’s portfolio and acts as spokesperson and corporate relations. In 1992 he reignited the grassroots hemp effort after discovering the 1942 Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association and became a leader in the national movement to allow U.S. farmers to grow industrial hemp. During this era, Joe collected feral hemp seeds, reorganized the Co-op, met with Governor Jones about forming Kentucky’s Hemp Task Force and organized the first International Hemp Conference. He helped gain Kentucky’s and the National Farm Bureau’s support for hemp, became a founding board member of Kenex, the first commercial industrial hemp operation in Canada, and was instrumental in drafting and passing Kentucky’s hemp legislation.
Fueled by the idea “to know the law, you have to test the law”, Joe’s passion to leave the world a better place led to him orchestrating the challenge of Kentucky’s hemp law by strategizing with friend and actor/environmental activist Woody Harrelson’s 1996 planting of four hemp seeds in the hills of Kentucky. This action would propel the reintroduction of hemp into the agricultural landscape of the United States and solidify Joe’s role as a Hemp Pioneer. This story and many other lively tales are currently being chronicled by Joe for his upcoming book.
Joe hails from the heart of cannabis country in Kentucky and loves getting back to his roots any opportunity he has. His writing space is nestled on a family farm in Marion County where he also spends precious time with his family.
Paul HiggsUSMC Veteran, Father of two, and owner operator of a vertically integrated small Hemp farm. In two decades of oil and gas experience a majority has been spent in regulatory consulting. I have travelled to every continent except Antarctica, and worked with companies spanning the globe. My wife and I conducted mission work and worked professionally in India for over a year while living in a small farming village called Kakinada. As a part of WEST Engineering I worked on the BP macondo incident and subsequent regulatory formation of the CFR and the development of BSEE, and BOEMRE. I assisted in the development of leading edge technology for monitoring as well as predictive maintenance and safety systems to integrate with ERP systems.
Joe Kirkpatrick Joe Kirkpatrick has been the lead lobbyist for Tennessee’s hemp industry since 2016, serving as the President and CEO of the Tennessee Growers Coalition, a 527 state political action committee specifically representing the interests of hemp farmers. Tennessee, during his tenure, has created a hemp program that is second to none globally. Joe has accumulated a catalogue of transformative, model legislation and rules to share with willing state governments, including key pieces of criminal justice and civil rights reforms related to hemp possession and use.
Courtney MoranOregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association
Courtney N. Moran, LL.M., Founding Principal of EARTH Law, LLC and Chief Legislative Strategist for Agricultural Hemp Solutions, LLC, expertly champions legal policy for sustainable Cannabis hemp agribusiness development. She worked closely with the offices of Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in drafting and negotiating the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 the language included in the 2018 Farm Bill, federally legalizing hemp.
Courtney lobbies for the Oregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association protecting Oregon hemp agricultural interests. She strategically guided the implementation of hemp programs in South Carolina, Wisconsin, Alaska, and Missouri. She continues to influence hemp policy development in numerous states throughout the U.S. and federally.
Courtney successfully litigated the landmark cases KaB, LLC v USPIS (2018) and RNF, LLC v USPIS, MLB 18-113 (2018) establishing precedent for the shipment of hemp, specifically hempderived CBD and viable hemp seeds, through the US Postal Service. Courtney is admitted to practice in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Courtney is co-founder of Hemp for Our Future, a social initiative campaign that supports the production and donation of hemp-based materials, products, and foods to medical professionals and community organizations helping those impacted by Covid-19.
Courtney was voted by the HIA membership as the 2018 Hemp Industries Association Advocate of the Year. She was also awarded as Hemp History Week’s Leading Grassroots Advocate. Courtney was celebrated by Capital Press newspaper as the Western Innovator: Leading the ‘green rush’. She is a sought-after attorney, lobbyist, guest lecturer, and speaker.
She currently serves as Second Vice Chair on the national NORML Board of Directors, on the Friends of Hemp Board of Directors, and on the Oregon State Bar Cannabis Law Section Executive Committee.
Jamie Campbell PettyJamie Campbell Petty built her career as a successful litigation paralegal that continued to evolve over 20 years, while also volunteering in various service roles to support youth, as well as her own military community. Jamie now resides on a small, but ever-expanding farm in rural Indiana, where she and her husband are learning to depend upon smaller living systems. Jamie’s lifelong appreciation for agriculture shows in her countless victories for industrial hemp in Indiana and nationally. Coupled with her desire to serve, Jamie founded the Indiana Hemp Industries Association (INHIA) in 2014 and assembled a strong team of volunteers. INHIA became the recognized leader in education and networking.
In 2018, Jamie teamed with long time hemp advisor, Alan Kimbell and Attorney Justin Swanson to form Midwest Hemp Council. Through tireless effort, Midwest Hemp Council has successfully lobbied for Indiana’s hemp legislation, contributed to regulatory development and continues to support efforts to remove unnecessary barriers for Hoosier farmers. Jamie has fostered partnerships with Midwest agriculture leaders, while building out the Midwest Hemp Council that interconnects businesses, organizations and community outreach. Midwest Hemp Council continues to educate and communicate, while focusing on building a strong economy in Indiana and beyond. Along with serving as Executive Director for the Midwest Hemp Council, Jamie is a Policy Specialist at Bose Public Affairs Group. She was named “100 People to Know in Hemp” by Hemp Connoisseur Magazine 2018. Jamie currently serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of Hemp and the US Hemp Growers Association.
Wayne RichmanExecutive Director and Founder of the California Hemp Association / Foundation. Supported 1200 research acres in California, Co-Sponsor UC Davis Hemp Summit. Worked with several counties statewide with various Hemp legislation and local activities.
Founder of Tone-Guard®, an electric guitar parts company specializing in vintage style aluminum anodized pick guards. Developed a new way to manufacture with exact reproduction. Tone-Guard® is the world leader in this market. Used by several Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Served as a former Apple Business development executive in the EDU Market, for 6 1/2 years.
